Transfer Centre

Bournemouth reject two bids from Derby County for Simon Francis

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 30 June 2014

Bournemouth turn down two bids from Derby County for their defender Simon Francis and insist that they don't need to sell any other players this summer.

Bournemouth have turned down two bids from Derby County for their defender Simon Francis and insisted that they don't need to sell any other players this summer.

Derby are in the market for a new right-back as Andre Wisdom is unlikely to return on loan from Liverpool for another season, but it looks like their pursuit of Francis may fail.

Neil Blake, Bournemouth's chief executive, said that they could do nothing about the sale of Lewis Grabban to Norwich City because of a release clause, but insisted that they wouldn't buckle under other bids.

"Unfortunately our hands were tied with the sale of Lewis Grabban due to the release clause in his contract, but we will not be seeing any other players leave the club this summer unless Eddie Howe feels it is the right move for AFC Bournemouth," Blake told the club website.

"As Eddie has said publicly over the last few days, we are now in a position where we want to be adding the finishing touches to this season's squad and that is what I would like to be doing over the next few weeks."

The Cherries finished 10th in their first season back in the Championship in 2013-14 - their highest league finish for 25 years.